Family Medicine Articles & Stories

Stress, and the tension in the spine, nervous system, back and neck that it breeds, is rising like a tide in America today along with the economic woes afflicting the nation – and chiropractors are well positioned to tackle the problems.
    
A survey done not too long ago by the American Psychological Association (APA) revealed that economy-related stress is making Americans angry, sleepless and anxious. Seventy-two percent of respondents pointed to money as a major source of stress, and 69 percent cited the economy, according to the APA.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the threat alert of the swine flu infection that is sweeping the world from 5 to 6, its highest level, officially declaring it a pandemic but making it clear that the outbreak is not exceptionally dangerous.
   
As of June 11, the H1N1 swine flu bug has claimed 144 lives among 28,774 people it has infected in 74 countries, according to the WHO – far fewer than the 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide during a typical flu season.

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More than 30 percent of a medicine chest of multivitamins failed to contain what they said they did, or were contaminated with lead, according to a report by the private company ConsumerLab.com
   
Among the 46 multivitamins analyzed, those that failed the test had far more or less of an ingredient than stated on the label. And several, including three supplements for children, contained more than the upper limit recognized as healthy by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Unhealthily excessive dosages were found for ingredients such as vitamin A, folic acid, niacin and zinc, according to the report by ConsumerLab.com, a White Plains, N.Y., firm that provides consumer information and independent evaluations of health and nutrition products.

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Obese black women may face a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes due to stress, a recent study suggested. Almost one-quarter of American black women have type 2 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
   
“Much attention has been given to the role of obesity in the development of type 2 diabetes, but stress may be as important in this at-risk population,” study co-author Anastasia Georgiades, of Duke University in Durham, N.C., said in a news release.

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There are 65 proteins that can be found at levels twice as great in the saliva of diabetics as in that of healthy people, a recent study found.
   
The scientists from Oregon and India who performed the investigation speculated that their work may provide the basis for developing a saliva test for monitoring and diagnosing type 2 diabetes – one that may one day replace blood tests.

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Since the swine flu outbreak has now spread to several countries, it’s probably no longer possible to contain it, a leading public health expert said, so anti-flu efforts should emphasize mitigation of the situation.
   
In an editorial in the British Medical Journal, Richard Coker, a professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, suggested the best way to slow the spread of the virus and alleviate the severity of its impact is to use antiviral drugs. The H1N1 swine flu virus is still susceptible to these drugs, which are well stockpiled in most developed countries, such as the United States, Canada and the nations of Western Europe.

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There is widespread agreement among health professionals about the energy-boosting value of drinking enough water during the day. Water ensures that your body is able to form, for example, the blood and lymphatic fluid it needs. Water also helps avert inflammation, which can lead to many chronic illnesses. It assists in cleansing the body of toxins and wastes.
   
So here are a few tricks to help you drink the eight glasses of water a day that is the generally recommended amount:

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Water, water, everywhere… oceans, river, lakes, rain, snow… but in general, there is simply not enough in our bodies. Overall, the population is dehydrated.We are told that we should be drinking 8 to 10 glasses of H20 a day. But realistically who does that? So part of my agenda is to create a popular groundswell for drinking more water. It’s a simple, inexpensive way (you don’t have to buy premium bottled water) to support good health, prevent disease and fill fit throughout our lives.

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Adolescents with low levels of vitamin D in their blood have a greater frequency of high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar, a recent study revealed, leaving them vulnerable to later heart problems and diabetes.
   
The research supports other work done in adults, which has shown that low vitamin D is associated with risk factors for heart disease. The body gets vitamin D when it’s manufactured in the skin upon exposure to sunlight. All it takes is 15 minutes three or four times a week. Vitamin D also comes from fortified foods, especially milk, and from oily fish, such as salmon.

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Elderly people with low levels of vitamin D in their blood have a 130 percent greater risk of developing cognitive impairment than people with high levels, a recent study showed. Cognitive impairment is a transitional phase between normal aging and dementia.
   
“Our results suggest that high levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D are associated with lower odds of cognitive impairment,” reported David J. Llewellyn, of Britain’s Cambridge University, and his fellow researchers in the Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology.

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